Parsippany company sues former office manager for allegedly embezzling $140K

Scotwork Inc., a consulting company that focuses on teaching negotiation skills, is located at 40 Lanidex Plaza in Parsippany. It has filed a lawsuit against its former office manager for allegedly embezzling funds.Google Maps

PARSIPPANY — A Parsippany consulting company is suing its former office manager for allegedly embezzling more than $140,000.

The ex-office manager, Heidi Quint, 41, of Fredon, formerly known as Heidi Pensado, pleaded guilty in October in Superior Court in Morristown to criminal charges including theft and credit card fraud and was ordered to pay $124,879 in restitution.

The company, Scotwork Inc., headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland but with its principal place of business on Lanidex Plaza in Parsippany, is seeking the full $140,617 it says it is owed, along with punitive damages and reimbursement of its attorney’s fees.

Scotwork, whose services focus on teaching negotiating skills, says in the lawsuit that Quint was hired in 2001 and that when she was terminated in October 2011 for “gross misconduct,” she was in charge of payroll, had check-signing authority, was trustee of the company’s 401(k) plan and possessed two company credit cards.

After Quint’s work performance “deteriorated,” in 2011, an investigation determined that she had been keeping a petty cash account in excess of $3,000 with no receipts or verification, the suit says.

Quint admitted stealing at least $110,665 from the company, the suit says.

The thefts included Quint paying herself $53,517 in extra salary; unauthorized charges on company credit cards totaling $67,576; and $10,860 in 401(k) loan repayments to which she was not entitled, according to the suit.

Quint spent the money on non-business items, including gas for her car, floor tiling and vacation expenses, according to the suit.

Quint has already paid $20,000 of the required restitution and was ordered to pay the remaining amount at the rate of $100 per month, the suit says.